The present application relates to tools for turning threaded fasteners, such as bolts, nuts, spark plugs and the like and, in particular, relates to a retention socket for retaining and torquing threaded fasteners.
It is known to provide socket-type salvage tools with laterally inwardly projecting teeth or barbs designed to dig into a fastener surface to facilitate turning of the fastener. Such an arrangement is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,712. While that arrangement works relatively well for rotating the fastener, it tends to destroy the fastener, can be used for rotation in only one direction, and tends to have a relatively short life because the teeth or barbs tend to become worn or broken in use. Also, such arrangements that have a single projecting segment may permit axial tipping of the fastener.
It is also known to provide fastener turning tools which have corner relief regions and drive surfaces, which may be arcuate, that are designed to engage the fastener away from the corner, to assist in turning fasteners with worn or rounded corners. However, these arrangements do not assist in manipulating or rotating fasteners that are in hard to access spaces. For example, when applying or removing fasteners or spark plugs from an engine, it is important that the tool retain the fastener within the socket when the fastener or spark plug is dislocated from the work area of the engine so that the fastener does not fall into the engine when the tool is pulled away or directed toward the work area. Such previously known tools for removing spark plugs use features such as magnets, a rubber boot or wire clip in order to retain the spark plug within the socket. Such features add additional components to the tool, increasing costs and manufacturing steps. For example, many additional machining steps may be required to add such features to a tool. As well, such previous arrangements are difficult to incorporate into a socket designed for engaging the sides of a polygonal fastener in order to retain the fastener within the socket. Therefore, a retention socket that has less components, is less complicated to assemble and is less expensive is desirable.